Further Reading
For lots of the things I cover here, I’m deeply indebted to the work of others.
Below is a collection of articles, websites and other resources that I’ve found interesting and valuable in bringing queer history to light, as well as links to relevant charities and community organisations.
Glasgow Women’s Library
You can visit the Glasgow Women’s Library in person, but you can also explore their online resource on LGBTQ+ history or read this short article about their archives.
National Library of Scotland
The NLS is Scotland’s legal deposit library and has a huge archive of all kinds of materials - including queer history. A lot of the documents can only be accessed in person, but you can get an idea of what’s available on their website. You can also find out about some of the queer materials in their Moving Image Archive. Some clips can be viewed online, and full videos can be watched on-site at the library’s premises.
UncoverED
UncoverED is a student-led research project at the University of Edinburgh. It aims to uncover past students from underrepresented backgrounds. The focus is on people of colour throughout the uni’s history, and you’ll find lots of interesting stories.
Historic Environment Scotland
HES is a public body that cares for and interprets many of our historic sites. They also have a great blog that digs up stories from the archives. Check out their useful timeline of Scottish LGBT history and some staff recommendations for queer Scottish books to get started! And check out one of my favourite blogs of theirs about a lesbian scandal that rocked 19th-century Edinburgh.
Queer Scotland
Queer Scotland is run by Dr Jeffrey Meek, a historian at the University of Glasgow. It features a range of blog posts about Scottish queer history, and some interactive maps that were absolutely invaluable to me when I started planning queer history tours. His book, Queer Voices in Post-War Scotland, is available to buy, or you can borrow it from Edinburgh Central Library.
Oral History Projects
Oral history is indispensable for recording queer stories, which were so often left out of the history books. Check out the work of OurStory Scotland and the Remember When project for first-hand recollections from Edinburgh’s queer past.
BBC Archive
In 1976, the Scottish Minorities Group made a documentary about their work campaigning for gay rights. It was called “Glad to Be Gay?” and you can watch it online in the BBC archive for a glimpse into queer life in 1970s Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Museums
The local museums in Edinburgh have lots of queer history artefacts in their collections, and they’ve had various exhibitions over the years. You can view an online version of their 2021 exhibition Proud City to see some of the materials that document Edinburgh’s LGBTQ+ history.
Harry Whyte
Harry Whyte was a gay man born in Edinburgh in 1907. Reviled and spied on by the British security services during his life for his homosexuality and his communist sympathies, he’s become famous in modern times as “the Scot who challenged Stalin” over gay rights in the 1930s. See the HES blog for an intro to his story, or check out a more in-depth read here. You can read the full text of his letter to Stalin here, translated into English.
Lavender Menace
Lavender Menace was Scotland’s first queer bookshop, opening in 1982. I first learnt about the bookshop through James Ley’s play, Love Song to Lavender Menace, and I’ve been fascinated by it ever since. You can read an interview with the founders, Sigrid Nielsen and Bob Orr, here. The bookshop no longer exists, but Bob and Sigrid now run Lavender Menace as a queer books archive. You can find out more about their work, and how to visit their archive in person, on their website.
Dr James Barry
James Barry studied medicine in Edinburgh from 1809 to 1812 and went on to have a stellar career as an army surgeon. His story was buried by the army when it emerged after his death that he was assigned female at birth. Historians are still divided on Barry’s gender identity - he may have been trans, or he could have been a cis woman forced to live a life in disguise to pursue a career. We will probably never know for sure until we discover materials that tell us in his own words.
You can read more about the story of Dr James Barry’s life here, and start delving into trans perspectives on his legacy with these articles over at Them and Medium. The National Archives also have learning materials you can explore online.
Charities and Organisations
The Equality Network is a Scottish charity that includes the Scottish Trans Alliance. They both work on equality and human rights across Scotland.
LGBT Youth Scotland works with young people in person and online.
LGBT Health and Wellbeing does what it says on the tin, with services in person, online and over the phone.
Stonewall Scotland has been campaigning for LGBTQ+ rights for over 30 years.
MermaidsUK is a charity working with gender-diverse young people and their families across the country, and they could use your support now more than ever.
Waverley Care was established in 1989 to build the UK’s first purpose-built Aids hospice in Edinburgh. Thankfully, they no longer need to be a hospice, but they continue to support people living with HIV and Hep C.
HIV Scotland has been supporting people living with HIV and fighting to break stigma since 1994.
The Scottish Trans Alliance has a list of other useful organisations.